The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel

After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual. 

This year, it is my turn. 

My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and restore the Westfall family to power. 

But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.

Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…

My Thoughts

What a GREAT book! I knew I wanted to read it but wasn't sure how I would enjoy it. Let me tell you how much I loved this book...I started it at 8:30ish in the evening and didn't put it down till after 2 in the freaking morning! AHHHH so good, in fact so good that I tweeted the author telling her how upset I am that I have to WAIT for book 2! GAH! 

This book is engaging, entertaining, unputdownable, sweet, exciting, and devastating. 

The story follows a society where 2 parties went to war, 1 party fell and the other party's family rose in power. To keep the peace between the 2 fighting parties/families the daughter, (Ivy Westfall) would marry the son of the President (Bishop Lattimer). 

I loved Ivy's character because she was so human and so relatable. This girl who was raised by the family who fell and who knew her sister would marry the son of the President in order to kill him so their revolution may commence so justice and the rights and order be brought back to where it "belonged." But when Bishop lets everyone know that he will not marry till he is 18 that pushes Ivy's sister out of the league to marry and kill him, so when Ivy becomes the next in line to marry Bishop she is rushed into training and everything in order to do what she needs to do to carry out her father's wishes and kill Bishop. 

 loved that she was so human with the desire to do what is right, please her family, question everything that she was taught to believe, she has fears, she finds the truth behind the lies and learns to sacrifice when the time comes.  

Enjoyed her character development, I thought it was just the right amount of time and essence to get the reader invested in this character. 

I also loved how the author chose to write Bishop Lattimer's character. I feel that in a lot of YA authors are writing in "bad boys" that treat girls not nicely and still have the female girls fall in love with them and somehow the "bad boy" changes and is all works out? I mean really what is that setting girls up for? but that is another topic. 

Bishop is NOT what Ivy was taught to believe he is. He is everything a man should be, he is kind, gentle, thoughtful, aware, helpful, hard working, and everything that makes this male character "swoon worthy." 

Overall I loved the story and look forward to book 2!

Sexual Content: mild (PG-some talk of honeymoon night)

Language: mild

Violence: moderate (talk of killing, of a hanging, a woman getting hit)

Drugs/Alcohol: mild